Bottle-feed mechanism



Sept. 3, 1929. A. P. EKVALL BOTTLE FEED MECHANISH Filed Feb. 27', 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Smut flr vid' BER/mull,

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A. P. EKVALL I 1,726,657

BOTTLE FEED uzcmmrsu Filed Feb. 27. 1928 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J I JMM "vs' uBEIvzz,

Sept. 3,1 9.29:

;A. P. EKVALL BOITLE FEED MECHANISM s SnQtS sheet 3 Filed Feb. 27. 1928 1,630,235, granted Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

, UNIT so STA ABVID P. -EKVALL, or

CHINERY COMPANY,

SACHUSETTS.

OF WORCESTER.

TE'S PATENT oFF cE.

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ECONOMIC MA- MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION or MAS- BOTTLE-FEED MEC ANISM.

madam filed February 27, 1928. Serial No. 257,313.

In my former patent, the bottles are pushed or forwardly impelled by a maprocatory head or member and deposited on to the conveyor that carries the bottles in a step b step manner through the machine.

Such a eed has been found, in some respects,

tobe defective or objectionable owing to the fact that the bottles have occasionally canted or twisted out of their correct position, when finally. delivered to the step by step conveyor. In some instances thebottle has been crushed or broken by the pusher head injamming the canted bottle against the side wall of the conveyor, then again they have been broken by the first advancing movement of the conveyor when the bottle is not correctly positioned thereon.

It is, therefore, the main object of this present improvement to overcome the abovementioned disadvantages by. providing a grip or cla'mpwhich acts in'conjunction with the pusher element to firmly hold the bottle against any twisting or canting and to finally deposit said bottle in a correct position onto the step by step conveyor.

Another object of the invention resides in the noyel manner of receiving, clamping and finally releasing the bottle, all of which is accomplished by the peculiar coaction had between the bottle grip and the pusher head.

It will, of course, be readily understood objects will present that these and other themselves to persons skilled in this, line of structure when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying fdrawings, and I hold it within-my rights to make certain changes or deviations therefrom. without sacrificing any of the spirit of the invention, so

the terms'set forth in the-annexed claims.

In the attached drawings,

' through the several views are indicated by similar letters of reference, wherein Figure 1"is an end elevation showing a bottle in clamped position and ready for transfer.

Figure 2 is a vice k Figure 3 is a plan view of the complete mechanism, and

front elevation of. the den connection with the dis long as they fall within like parts merely Figure 4 is :a' detail view relating to -the cam and lever arrangement for accomplishing the desired coactive movements between 5-5 which constitute guides to retain the to the latter.

bottles on to the'conveyor- 3. These guides are adjustably mounted so as :to accommodate bottles of various sizes. Also upon the base 2 and extending to the left, as seen in Figure 3,-is a step by step conveyor 6 having side rails 7-7, the details of which are covered in my prior Patent No. 1,630,235. Thisstep by step conveyor is arranged in ofi'cet relation with respect to the conveyor 3 'and has its end in overlapping relation The bottles that, are presented at the end of the cdnveyor 3 are to be delivered or transferred on to the step by step conveyor 6 for subsequent treatment at the the machine and it is at the conveyor 3 several stations in the point of transfer fro to the conveyor 6 that the present improve ment is directed. a

At right angles to the exit end of the conveyor 3 is positioned a vertically extending plate 8 on which is-mounted a pair of horizontally slidable bars 9-9. Both of these bars are retained in their pro er position' by guide stra 5 110-10. ivotally mounted on the si e of the plate-8 is a pair ofcbell cranks 11 -11,. one having a linkconnection 12' w ith the upper bar 9, and the other having a similar connection with thelower. bar 9. To the forward end of the, lower bar ria'te manner,

orwardly extending flange or angle 14 and a rearwardly directed ange' or leg 15. When the head 13 is in its retracted position, as shown in Figure 3, it will be noted that the flange 14' constitutes a stop for the bottles being 'eceivedfrom the conveyor 3 and when the ead 13- is projected forward the feed of the bottles from conveyor 3 will be prevented or blocked by the flange 15. "Detachably secured to th forward end of the upper bar 9 is a depending finger 16 which 9 is secured, in any appro a pusher head 13 having a I at its lower end is provided with a pad or block 17 oppositely disposed with respect to the head 13 so as to clamp or firmly hold a bottle to said head.

Affixed to the under surface of the base 2 1s a bracket 18 having oppositely extended trunnions 19 which pivot'ally support the transversely extending levers 20 and 21. The opposite end of said levers 20 and 21- are operatively connected by rods or links 22 to actuate the bell cranks 11. The lever 20, intermediate its end, has a laterally extending stud 20, upon which the roller 23 is rotatably supported and this roller 23 is adapted to have peripheral contact with a cam 24 securely aflixed to the power shaft 25 of the machine. In order to effectively hold the roller 23 into constantactive engagement with the peripheral surface of the cam 24 a tension spring 26 is secured at one end to the lever 20 and is suitably anchored V as at 27 to some stationary part of the machinebase or frame. wise provided with an tioned roller 28 which The lever 21 is likeintermediately posiis adapted to ride within the grooved or flanged cam 29 which affords a positive movement in both directions to the lever 21, and, therefore, no

I spring or similar element is necessary to cause a retraction. ofthis lever. This flanged. cam 29 is also firmly attached to the powershaft 25.

The connecting links or rods 22 are made adjustable and by increasing or decreasing their length, any slight variation existing in the bar 9, link connection 12 or the bellcrank 11 may be accountedfor in order to maintain the proper distance between the bottle gripping members.

Briefly referring to the action of the ma chine it will be noted that the bottles are manually placed within the conveyor 3 and fed forward thereby to position the -foremost bottle, in front of the pusher head 13. Immediately after the bottle is so placed the upper bar 9 is moved through its link and lever connection by the cam 29 and this causes a. slight rear or retracting movement to the grip pad 17 thereby effectively clamping or gripping the bottle. Both the pusher head 13 and the grip pad 17 are then simultaneously advanced to 'carry the bottle through the exit end of-vconveyor 3 and position the same on theJstep by step conveyor 6.. In order to permitthe full advanc of the grip pad 17 the side bars 7- f conveyor 6 are cut away and when the bottle is properly positioned on the conveyor 6 the pad 17 continues in its forward movement so as to free the front surface of the bottle and at the same instant the pusher head 13 is rapidly retracted so as to withdraw the forwardly extending flange 14 from the subseconveyor 3, but as soon as the head 13 is,

fully retracted the foremost bottle is fed to the face of head 13 and stopped in its proper position thereon by the forwardly extending flange 14. Y

I claim: 1. In a bottle transfer device comprising a reciprocatory plunger, a trough or guideway for delivering a bottle to the face of the plunger, a gripping member disposed in parallel relation with respect to the face of the plunger and adapted toengage .thebottle intermediate its top and bottom edges to clamp the bottle 'to the face of the plunger,

means for advancing the plunger and the gripping member with a bottle therebetween, and a second trough or guideway provided with means for removing the projected bottle. s 2. In a bottle transfer device comprising a reciprocatory plunger having an angular offset at one side thereof to constitute a'stop for the bottle, livering a bottle to the face of the plunger, a gripping member adapted to clamp the 'bottle to the face of the plunger, means for simultaneously advancing the plunger and the gripping member, and a second trough or guideway having means for removing the projected bottle.

,3. In a bottle transfer mechanism com-.

prising a reciprocatory plunger, a gripping member disposed in parallel relation to the face of the plunger and coactive therewith to hold the bottle in clamped position to the face of the plunger during forward movement of the latter, the gripping member relative to the plunger at the termination of each movement of the plunger.

4. A bottle feed mechanism comprlslng a plurality of bottle troughs or guideways, a

transfer device arranged to convey the bottles from one trough or guideway to the other, said device having a horizontally rea trough or guideway for deand means for moving ciprocatory plunger and an opposed horizontally reciprocatory gripping face, said plunger and gripping face being arranged in spaced parallel relation andadapted in their action to clasp a bottle ,Itherebetween, and means for actuating the transfer device.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ARVID r. EKVALL. 

